Indian Rummy – A Game of 13 Cards Rummy

Indian Rummy is one of the most popular card games in the entire Indian subcontinent. Mostly called as ‘Paplu’ in regional Indian languages, 13 cards rummy is truly a game of skills. Usually compared to chess, Indian Rummy incorporates complex strategies and skills that one has to deploy in order to win a game.

Objective of the Game

Indian Rummy is a famous card game of picks and discards. Though picks and discards, you need to arrange all the 13 cards in your hand into sequences and sets. You must have at least two sequences – a sequence without jokers and another sequence that can be with or without jokers – to win the game.

Sequence and Set

A sequence is a group of three or more consecutive cards of the same suit. For example – 4♣ 5♣ 6♣ is a sequence of three consecutive cards belonging to the same suit ♣. While a set is a group of three or four cards that are of the same rank belonging to different suits. For example – A♥A♣A♦ is a set of three As belonging to different suits.

Jokers

There are two types of Jokers– Wild and Printed Jokers, which you can use and play Indian Rummy online. Wild Jokers are selected at the beginning of the game randomly. They can replace any other card in the group to form sequences and sets.

Game Play

Thirteen cards are dealt to each player and the first card from the pack, after the distribution, is placed face up to form the Open Deck. Other remaining cards are placed face down to form the Closed Deck. Every player has to pick a card from either Closed or Open Deck to arrange all the cards in sequences and/or sets. If a player finishes the objective of the game, he/she can declare the cards by discarding one of the cards on the Finish Slot.

Scoring

The winner gets zero points and the losing players get points based on the points carried by their cards.

A – 10 points
K – 10 points
Q – 10 points
J – 10 points

All other cards have the same points as their face value. For example, 5♣ has 5 points and 7♦ has 7 points.

Calculating Points

If the losing player has successfully formed two sequences, out of which one is a pure sequence and another sequence with or without Jokers, then the points of the remaining cards that are not arranged are calculated.

If the losing player fails to make two sequences – a pure sequence and another sequence, then all the points carried by the cards are calculated.

A player gets 80 points if he/she declares the game without completing the objective of the game.

A player gets 40 points if he/she misses three consecutive turns.

Drop Points

First Drop: A total of 20 points is given to players if he drops without picking a card from the Closed Deck

Middle Drop: A total of 40 points is given to players if he drops out of the game after picking a card from the Closed Deck.

Category: Rummy Variation